BBQ Pork Chops

Master BBQ Pork Chops with one of these three versatile cooking methods: oven-baked, grilled, and skillet-cooked. Serve sizzling, tender pork chops every time.

Whether you’re a BBQ enthusiast or a novice cook, everyone can appreciate a perfectly cooked BBQ pork chop. Rich in flavor, tender, and smothered in your favorite BBQ sauce, who can resist? And there’s more than one way to cook a BBQ pork chop.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll show how to make BBQ pork chops three ways: oven-baked for any time of the year, grilled for the authentic BBQ lovers, and skillet-cooked ease. Whichever way you choose, you’ll get a perfectly tender pork chop.

Table of Contents

1. About this BBQ Pork Chops Recipe:
2. What kind of pork chops are best?
3. Ingredients Needed
4. Preparing the Pork Chops
5. Method 1: Grilled BBQ Pork Chops
6. Method 2: Skillet-Cooked BBQ Pork Chops
7. Method 3: Oven-Baked BBQ Pork Chops
8. How can I prevent my pork chops from drying out?
9. Storage Instructions
10. BBQ Pork Chops (3 Ways) Recipe
11. Other Pork Recipes

Thanks to the Ohio Pork Council for sponsoring this post and allowing us to share this pork chop recipe. Ohio has more than 3500 family pork farms that raise enough pork to feed more than 25 million people.

What kind of pork chops are best?

There are different options when you’re thinking about how to choose pork chops for grilling or baking.

• Name: Choose pork loin chops or center cut chops.
• Boneless vs Bone-in: Both will both work. My family prefers boneless pork chops vs bone-in pork chops.
• Appearance: You want to select chops that are pinkish-red in color with some marbling. The fat marbling is what gives the pork chops flavor.
• Thickness: Buy chops that are at least 1 inch thick. Thinner chops can dry out easily and are less forgiving when it comes to cooking time. The chops we show here were a little over 1″ thick.

Ingredients Needed

There are two basic ingredients needed for this recipe:

• Pork Chops. Choose pork chops based on the notes above. Remember…thick cut is a must.
• BBQ Sauce. The specific BBQ sauce is your preference. Choose homemade or your favorite store bought sauce.

BBQ sauce is full of seasoning, but if you’d like more flavor, rub the chops with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder or paprika before marinating them in barbecue sauce.

Preparing the Pork Chops

Preparation for bbq pork chops is simple.

• Use a fork to poke holes in the top and bottom of each pork chop. This will help to tenderize the pork chop and allow the bbq sauce to flavor all of the pork.

• Place the pork chops in a bowl. Pour the bbq sauce over the pork chops. Turn the chops to ensure the bbq sauce completely covers, even the sides of the pork chops.
• Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-10 hours.

Method 3: Oven-Baked BBQ Pork Chops

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a 9×13” baking pan with cooking spray.
• Place the marinated pork chops in the baking pan.

• Bake the pork chops for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature tests 145ºF (test with a meat thermometer). Mine took about 17 minutes.)
• Note: If you’d like the chops a little “crispy” on top, bake them for about 13 minutes, then place them under the broiler on high for 3-4 minutes. The bbq sauce will slightly caramelize. Watch them closely and test the internal temperature so they don’t burn or overcook.

• Allow the chops to rest for 5 minutes to seal in the juices, then serve.

How can I prevent my pork chops from drying out?

In order to have juicy pork chops, it’s important to not overcook them. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your chops reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), which is the recommended safe temperature by the USDA. Let them rest for a few minutes after cooking to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the chop.

Storage Instructions

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze any leftovers for up to 6 weeks.